Remember September
MIRACLE MOMENTS®
“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.” Anne Frank
A MESSAGE from Founder/Director, CYNTHIA BRIAN Cynthia Brian
In the 1990s, while I was coaching youth and adults to be confident film actors, I was also producing and hosting a TV show that showcased ordinary people doing extraordinary things not for the money, but because it made a difference in the world. Audiences, crew members, and guests encouraged me to create a nonprofit to bring my messages of encouragement and possibility to the world. After hiring consultants and experts to help me in this endeavor, Be the Star You Are!® was born on September 9, 1999, to empower women, families, and youth through increased literacy and positive media messages.
Two years and two days later, I watched in horror as a series of four coordinated suicide attacks on the United States of America killed 2,977 individuals as planes crashed into two towers of New York’s World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Be the Star You Are!® volunteers around the country immediately launched Operation Ground Zero Disaster Relief, shipping thousands of books, games, puzzles, videos, and other uplifting materials and resources to offer support to the victims. We were one of the first charities to help. Since then, Be the Star You Are!® has created numerous Operation Disaster Relief programs to assist people around the United States when fires, tornadoes, floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, and other terrible events have occurred.
But of all the disasters, it is 9/11 that has, over the years, been heaviest on my heart. The terrorist attacks of 9/11 were not caused by global warming or climate change. It was an act of hatred from a nation retaliating against a foreign policy of the United States and, in so doing, causing the deaths of innocent people.
The majority of current volunteers of Be the Star You Are!® were not even born when 9/11 occurred, yet they must live in a world generated by events of that day. Many youth only know about the tragedy from school assignments, social media, and online conspiracy theories. On this 25th anniversary of the 9/11 atrocities, we acknowledge the generational trauma and the feeling of violation of our safety and security. It was real. It did happen. It was horrendous. We can’t let this happen again…anywhere.
Since BTSYA is an all-volunteer organization with no paid staff, I had no idea if we could survive. There were days when our bank account had a whopping 32 cents total. Yet, 27 years later, we are still empowering the world. That’s the power of ordinary people doing extraordinary things, not for the money but because it makes a positive difference in our world.
Happy 27th Anniversary to everyone everywhere who has ever participated in our Be the Star You Are!® programs. As we remember the terror of 9/11, we honor the victims, survivors, first responders, and rescue workers of that fateful day. We must continue to strive for peace and unity on earth as we improve the world so that future generations understand that we are one people living in one world.
Create harmony, foster tolerance, embrace diversity, and be kind.
With gratitude for the 27 years of Be the Star You Are!® service to the world and in commemoration of 9/11.
Truly,
Cynthia Brian
Founder/Executive Director
Be the Star You Are!®
PO Box 376
Moraga, California 94556
“No day shall erase you from the memory of time.“ (Inscribed at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum)
DONATE: https://givebutter.com/BTSYA
Making a Difference
by Gowri Kamatchi
Change is rarely quiet. It’s loud, and sometimes awkward, but where would we be without change? For young people, change is a natural part of growing, learning, and discovering who they want to become. Having the right support during these moments can help them turn challenges into opportunities.
Making a difference can start with something as simple as listening, encouraging, or giving someone an opportunity. Mentors, teachers, families, and communities can help young people build confidence, develop new skills, and believe in their own potential. When young people feel supported and valued, they are more willing to take risks, learn from mistakes, and work toward their goals.
By helping young people succeed today, we are creating positive change for tomorrow. Every conversation, opportunity, and act of encouragement can have a lasting impact. Together, we can help young people feel empowered to shape a brighter future.
Hi readers! My name is Gowri Kamatchi. I am a content creator volunteer with Be the Star You Are!®, and I am a 17-year-old senior. I have a deep interest in global issues, journalism, and climate policies. My hobbies are reading, listening to music, and rollerblading!
“Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth.” — Muhammad Ali
CONGRATULATIONS TO AN EXCEPTIONAL TEEN
Throughout its 27 years, Be the Star You Are!® has elevated teens. We believe that young people are not only our future, but our today. On our popular teen radio broadcast, Express Yourself!™, we advertise that the unedited and uncensored show is where teens talk, and the world listens. Over the years, numerous teens have won many awards and, as adults, have gone on to be successful in a variety of professions, regularly thanking Be the Star You Are!® for the guidance and support that helped them reach their dreams.
Julia Howe began volunteering with Be the Star You Are!® in 9th grade as a book reviewer and content creator. She became a regular radio reporter and host on Express Yourself!™ Teen Radio and an active member at our community events. Throughout her high school experience, she founded Jing Shao Nian to promote Chinese opera and also worked on a sports platform, Hitting the Wall. For her dedication and commitment to creating community. We are so proud of her achievements and thrilled that Be the Star You Are!® was part of her journey. As Julia heads off to Yale, we wish her many congratulations and commend her for her talents as she continues making a difference. Here’s what Julia has to say in her own words:
“I’m so excited to share that I won the 2026 Milton Fisher Scholarship for Innovation and Creativity, the AAPI Youth Change Maker Award, and Billie Jean King Youth Leadership Award!! Thank you so much for writing my recommendation letter and for supporting me throughout the process. Your help truly meant so much to me, and I’m incredibly grateful to have had you in my corner! This means a lot to me, and I’m incredibly grateful for all of your support over the years.
I was incredibly honored to receive the Billie Jean King Youth Leadership Award at the ESPN Sports Humanitarian Awards and attend the ESPYS in New York. The award recognizes young people using sport to create positive change, and I was recognized for my work with Hitting The Wall, the youth-led nonprofit I founded to improve health education and advocacy for teen girl athletes. Getting to be part of the ESPYS was surreal. I had the chance to meet and learn from athletes and advocates, including Billie Jean King, Simone Biles, Allyson Felix, Ilona Maher, Steph Curry, and Alysa Liu, who presented my award. Being surrounded by athletes I had admired for years was surreal, but the most important part of the experience was meeting Billie Jean King and seeing how closely she pays attention to who is overlooked and why things are done the way they are. She reminded me that advocacy often starts by simply noticing something that feels wrong and being willing to question it. It was especially meaningful to see the work we started as a small youth project recognized on such a large stage, and the award also included a $10,000 grant to help Hitting The Wall continue expanding its programs. I left the ESPYs feeling grateful for everyone who helped build Hitting The Wall, but also more motivated to keep challenging the harmful expectations young female athletes face and to help make sports healthier for the girls who come next.
I’ve also been very fortunate to receive several scholarships recently as I head to college, including the Milton Fisher Scholarship for Innovation and Creativity, the InspirASIAN Scholarship, the DCU Memorial Scholarship, and the Extra Space Storage Scholarship. I’m especially grateful that several of these recognized projects and causes I care deeply about.
I definitely hope radio stays part of my life in college! Express Yourself has meant so much to me, and I can’t imagine completely leaving it behind. Thank you again for believing in me and giving me such an incredible place to learn and find my voice over the past few years. I’ll absolutely remember you all. ❤️ Love Julia Howe”
Direct link to Julia’s radio interview about her experience: https://www.voiceamericamedia.com/show/express-yourself/sports-and-the-effects-of-nil-name-image-and-likeness-espys-and-hitting-the-wall/
“What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.” Jane Goodall
TWENTY-SEVEN YEARS OF POSITIVE RESULTS
With no paid staff and all volunteers, since receiving our 501 (c) (3) status in 1999, Be the Star You Are! has:
Served 560,927 individuals and families
Donated to 119 organizations
Logged 777,999 volunteer hours and growing
Distributed $2.1 million plus in resources
Collected and donated 1575 pairs of shoes to women in poverty around the globe.
Broadcast 2800 unique hours of positive programming through radio broadcasts.
Honored by the California Assembly for 20 years of community service.
Nominated for the California Governor’s and First Lady’s Service Awards
2024 Nonprofit of the Year, awarded by the Moraga Chamber of Commerce from 80 nominations.
Honored with five-star ratings as a Top Rated Nonprofit by GuideStar and Great Nonprofits for the Women’s Empowerment, Arts and Culture, and the Arts Appreciation Campaigns since 2010.
Published 8 signature award-winning books: Be the Star You Are!® 99 Gifts, Be the Star You Are!® for Teens, Be the Star You Are!® Millennials to Boomers, No Barnyard Bullies, Family Forever, Books in the Barnyard: Oh Deer!, Flap Forward! Fly Free!, and Miracle Moments®
Written and published over 2530 book reviews in collaboration with The Reading Tub and Express Yourself!™ Creative Community.
Interviewed over 2500 authors, experts, and celebrities.
Be the Star You Are!® encourages and supports its volunteers to GROW people.
ABOUT BE THE STAR YOU ARE!®
Be the Star You Are!® is an all-volunteer organization that operates through contributions, in-kind donations, and proceeds from fundraising events. Be the Star You Are!® does not receive state or federal funding and is solely dependent on contributions from the community and corporations. Be the Star You Are!® is consistently honored as a TOP NON-PROFIT (https://greatnonprofits.org/org/be-the-star-you-are-inc) by Guidestar and Great Non-Profits.
Be the Star You Are!® supports all ethnicities and has no religious or political agendas or affiliations. Be the Star You Are!® is proud to have been serving the community, country, and world since 1999.
“Anyone who thinks that they are too small to make a difference has never tried to fall asleep with a mosquito in the room.” — The Dalai Lama
DONATE: https://givebutter.com/BTSYA
“The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
OUR RADIO BROADCASTS INSPIRE AND COMMUNICATE
Every week, under the auspices of Be the Star You Are!® charity and produced by StarStyle® Productions, LLC, listeners are encouraged and inspired on our two international radio broadcasts, StarStyle®-Be the Star You Are!® and Express Yourself!™ Teen Radio. StarStyle® is a lifestyle program bringing information and innovative ideas that will help with daily living while Express Yourself!™ is hosted by teens, for teens, with discussions about everything and anything that interests youth today. Both programs are unedited, uncensored, and unapologetically authentic.
Listen to StarStyle®-Be the STAR You Are!® on your favorite platforms:
Libsyn: https://sites.libsyn.com/556617
Spotify:
Pocketcasts: https://pca.st/mjw2ng5n
Listen to all Express Yourself!™ Teen shows on your favorite platforms:
Voice America: https://www.voiceamericamedia.com/show/express-yourself/
Apple iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id481894121
Spotify:
(2022 and earlier)
“In a gentle way, you can shake the world.” Mahatma Ghandi
A SALUTE TO TWO LEGENDARY WOMEN
Two amazingly talented and influential women died recently. Dolly Parton and Gloria Steinem. Both did more for feminism and equality, supporting women to live their dreams and strive for their goals. Brilliant, divine, and committed to bringing younger generations along, both Dolly and Gloria made it a better world for women everywhere. Thank you, beautiful ladies, for sharing your passions, talents, and inclusivity with us. You have empowered women and girls everywhere to reach for the stars and land on them. RIP.
“Read, lead, succeed. To be a leader, you must be a reader!” Cynthia Brian
BOOKS AND MERCH
Books: A great way to support Be the Star You Are!® and give a gift that continues to give is to buy books as a donation through our portal. Check out our Book Package: https://www.bethestaryouare.org/book-gift
Amazon Store: Be the Star You Are!® has a book shop on Amazon with the lowest prices available. Check it out at http://www.amazon.com/shops/be_the_star_you_are_charity
Book Reviews: Books read by youth for all ages and honestly reviewd. https://www.bethestaryouare.org/book-reviews
Merch: Find well-made clothing and hats with the Be the Star You Are!® logo at https://www.bonfire.com/store/be-the-star-you-are-merch/. Numerous colors and styles are appropriate for all ages. A percentage of the proceeds benefits Be the Star You Are!®.
Communicate, collaborate, innovate!
Remember the past, learn from it, and create a better future.
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